Lady Lever Gallery wins Heritage Lottery Fund cash

A scheme to restore the Lady Lever Art Gallery located in Port Sunlight has received an additional £1.2m in funding.

The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) is providing nearly half of the cash to restore the Beaux-Arts building. In total, the restoration is budgeted to cost £2.8m. The other £1.6m of funding is expected to come from a combination of corporate sponsors, grants, and donations.

During the renovation, original ceilings will be revealed and new lighting will be installed. In addition, new display rooms will be opened to show off around 1,500 items. There will also be a new hands-on area for younger visitors to enjoy.

In 1922, the youngest daughter of Queen Victoria, Princess Beatrice, opened the gallery. The site was commissioned by Lord Leverhulme to house his collection of fine art and ceramics, as well as to allow members of the public to enjoy the items.

Sandra Penketh, who has responsibility for National Museum Liverpool’s fine and decorative arts collections, said:

“We are working with our architectural and design team to give the objects the sort of environment they deserve, one which draws out their beauty and cultural value to a modern audience.”

Construction work at the Lady Lever Art Gallery is due to be completed in 2016. In the meantime, the gallery remains open, but some of the collection is being stored elsewhere.

Wirral architects and construction firms are busy working on a number of large projects in the area. In September, construction of the first building in the £4.5bn Wirral Waters development began, which will see the Birkenhead dock area transformed.